Dentist in Colorado Springs for Removal of root canal treated teeth

The Safer, Healthier Alternative to Root Canals
Biocompatible Zirconia Implants

At Dental Health and Wellness in Colorado Springs, Colorado, patients visit us for root canal removal for a variety of reasons. In some cases, a root canal-treated tooth has failed, causing pain and discomfort years after it was initially treated. In other cases, patients initially underwent root canal therapy to save a tooth but now are concerned about the potential for the infection and inflammation in the tooth to spread into the surrounding tissues and bloodstream. Dr. Brady listens to patients’ concerns and works with each person on an individual basis to determine whether root canal removal is right for them and discuss their options for the next steps.

Why root canals can fail

Root canal therapy is a treatment designed to remove the infected inner contents of the tooth, including the pulp and nerve, after traumatic injury, disease, or decay. While the procedure is designed to save the tooth and prevent the need for extraction, the success of the procedure can be affected by a number of factors, including inadequately filling of the canal (or conversely, overfilling it), a bacterial infection in the tooth that persists after treatment, leakage from the seal, and complications arising from the treatment procedure itself. Signs that you may have a failed root canal include:

  • Pain when you are biting on foods
  • Swelling in the area
  • Bone loss that is visible on dental x-rays, which can be caused by a bacterial infection in the treated tooth
  • A bad smell coming from the tooth
  • Discoloration in the tooth

Removing a root canal treated tooth

While in an ideal world, we would keep all of our permanent teeth for our whole life, in some cases, it is in a patient’s best interest to have a root canal tooth extracted. Dr. Brady uses a protocol for the root canal tooth extraction that is designed to keep you safe and comfortable during the treatment, without spreading further infection. After first numbing the area, Dr. Brady will sanitize the area and remove the tooth entirely, ensuring that no small pieces remain. If there is granulation tissue or a cyst in the area, those will also be removed to help prevent the further spread of toxins and infection. Ozone therapy may be used to help neutralize the infection and inflammation in the area as well. Finally, if needed, sutures are placed to close the gum tissue where the tooth was extracted. After your tooth has healed, we will place a natural-looking, functional new tooth such as a dental implant or bridge.

Learn more at a consultation

If you have been considering root canal removal and are wondering if it is the right option for you, we invite you to call Dental Health and Wellness in Colorado Springs to schedule a consultation. We will perform an in-depth evaluation and discuss the options available to you for your root-canal treated tooth, the cost of the removal, and tooth replacement options that are a good fit for your needs. Our office can be reached at (719) 215-9292, or you can request an appointment online.

RCT Removal Video by Dr. Brady

I am Dr. Chris Brady. Um, I’d like to answer a question that we get oftentimes in, in our dental office is, um, patient will typically come in and they’ll say, Dr. Brady, I had a root canal done either recently or maybe sometimes even 20 or 30 years ago. And, um, what should I do about the root canal?
And my answer always is, it just depends on what you want to do. It’s your body. You get to choose. And so people say, well, are they safe?
And I’d say, well, it depends. That is also depending too, depending on your own immune system and those kinds of things.
But typically, most people that come to my office want to have the root canal, tooth root, canal, tooth out and get rid of any infection that’s around the tooth. And so I’d like to describe a little bit, just briefly, not to scare anybody off, but just briefly, what we do when we do take the tooth, the tooth out, the most important part is really to clean the inside of the, the, the dent, the socket where the tooth was. Make sure that that’s all clean spic and span.
There’s a periodontal ligament that many of you have read about that sometimes will harbor that bacteria. And so we have to make sure that’s completely taken out. We also put Betadine in that area. We put ozone in the area. I have a thing called a piezo surgery unit that will also, uh, kind of go around and just speak and spin, make the inside of that very, very clean. Then after that we put some sort of a bone grafting material.
We don’t use cadaver bone in our office. We use a synthetic that is very, very healthy and we’ll, we will basically go away after six, eight months, something like that. So it, it really is a, an important process.
We also recommend that when you do the bone grafting, we also put in the bone grafting material. We can put in, uh, a compound called metronidazole. And that is a, an antibacterial, it’s an antibiotic.
And uh, the thing that’s nice about that is it doesn’t go through your system.
It just is, it goes in that area. And so you don’t have to take the antibiotic in your gut or anything like that. Um, we also recommend that you put some sort of an implant or tooth replacement in that area. The kind that we use are tied, are not titanium implants. They are zirconia implants. They’re made of a non-metal, and they don’t have any of the properties or qualities that metal does.
Um, metal can sometimes actually attract 5G waves. They’ve proven that in Europe. And so we use specifically something that’s an inner material that is going to be safe for your body, that your body doesn’t care that it’s there. And so that’s what we recommend. Uh, the question oftentimes also is, is, gee, do I have to replace the tooth?
And the answer is definitely, you don’t have to. But it’s usually best for your body to have that tooth replaced because the teeth on either side can sometimes start to drift. The one on the, if it’s a bottom tooth, the one on the top will come down. And so it messes up all the rest of the teeth. Teeth Are a team. They’re made as one unit and should function well together. So call us today. We’d love to help you. Again, this is something that we do on a routine basis. Uh, your situation might be different, but uh, again, we’d love to see you give our office a call.


Frequently asked questions

Why do patients require root canal removal?

When a root canal-treated tooth fails, causing pain and discomfort years later, or when patients initially received root canal therapy to preserve a tooth but are now concerned about the infection and inflammation in the tooth spreading into the deeper structures.

Why do root canals fail?

Root canals can fail owing to insufficient canal filling (or, conversely, overfilling), a bacterial infection in the tooth after treatment, leakage through the seal, and difficulties related to the treatment method.

What are some symptoms of a failed root canal?

– Pain while chewing into foods
– Swelling in the area
– Bone loss apparent on dental x-rays, possibly caused by a bacterial infection in the treated tooth
– A foul odor emanating from the teeth
– Discoloration in the teeth

How does the root canal removal procedure work?

After numbing the area, your dentist will sterilize it and remove the tooth, ensuring no tiny bits remain. To avoid the spread of toxins and infection, your dentist will remove any granulation tissue or cysts in the region. Lastly, if required, sutures seal the gum tissue where the tooth was taken.

What is done once my root canal is removed?

When your tooth has healed, a natural-looking, functioning replacement tooth, such as a dental implant or bridge, is placed.